I got a kindle to go to Italy with, I’d never really considered one before - what with my obsession with physical books - but the impracticality of carting my TBR pile with me to Piemonte eventually won out.

I saw it as an opportunity to try some things I maybe wouldn’t have thought about buying, or series’ that I didn’t know if I wanted a physical commitment to. (Dresden Files, you’re next)

I’d been hearing a lot about these ‘Murderbot’ novellas by Martha Wells, and after reading Fandom For Robots by Vina Jie-Min Prasad, and having this to say in my personal reading log:

‘Oh man ‘fell in love’ is right when it comes to this story. It’s so fucking joyful. Really clever, very funny. A robot that definitely does not have emotional capacity is definitely in no way obsessed with an anime show and is definitely not stealing sensitive information from the museum in which it is housed in order to create fan fiction around it with a human girl over the internet. All the while questioning their satisfaction with their own existence. None of this is happening. Definitely not.

I think what I love about this, apart from the satisfyingly NAILED tone of fanfic and fandom, is the innocence and fun of it. It’s such a fun little story, there’s the merest hint of ominous dystopia as Computron becomes more self-aware of its self-awareness, but even here we feel that will just lead to Computron living their best life rather than world domination.

Pacing, structure, form. All used expertly and perfectly.

It’s just a joyful little story, silly and funny, and these are seldom found in the realms of Sci-Fi.’

I figured that Murderbot might have a similar vibe.

I knew from the first paragraph, I’d figured right.

(in writing this blog I actually discovered that Wells recommends Fandom For Robots as one of her favourite Science Fiction short stories, so… yeah. The vibes are very strong and I’m here for it)

(Also Fandom For Robots was first published by Uncanny Magazine in 2017 and is actually available in full here. Easily my favourite short story I’ve read in 2022 so far - if you’ve got a spare 10 minutes it is so worth your time.)

This is an absolute goldmine of a character - Wells describes it as an ‘attack’ idea, one that just wouldn’t leave her alone until she’d gotten it out, and it’s easy to see why.

We follow a SecUnit - a bot/human construct that is part organic, part robot - in its role as security detail for a group of scientists on a research expedition. SecUnits are killing machines, incredibly fast and efficient and human reactions to them range from uncomfortable fear to uncomfortable terror. To temper this, the company that built them installed ‘governer modules’ which make SecUnits functionally dependent on orders and prevent them from going on a killing spree (ahem). They also make the SecUnit explode if it is ever out of range of its contracted humans, which is… pretty mean.

Our SecUnit has hacked its governor module. It has (for reasons) ironically named itself Murderbot. It can do what it wants (except reveal to the humans it is on contract with that it has hacked its governor module and can do what it wants, that could prove tricky) The main thing it wants to do is watch media content - especially episodes of The Rise And Fall Of Sanctuary Moon - the main thing it does not want to do is talk about its feelings (ugh, gross)
Rest assured, throughout the series it will get/have to do plenty of both. Along with lots of the boring functional stuff like protecting its stupid humans and hacking and fighting and generally saving the day despite really rather not having to have to.

Murderbot also quickly discovers that the main problem with being free to do whatever you want is needing to know what you want to do. 

Wells has said she based the character’s existential crises on her own experiences with anxiety and frustration. It works. A lot. It makes this little SecUnit incredibly relatable. I feel like I get Murderbot, I feel seen when Murderbot acerbically verbally eviscerates yet more human stupidity and bemoans not being able to be left alone to watch more Sanctuary Moon. (It reminds me of my old job… any of them)

Another welcome plus is The Murderbot Diaries effortless inclusivity of trans people and gender fluidity (SecUnit’s preferred pronoun is It/Its and it has zero issues with any other pronouns humans may use (that’s like the least weird part about humans to it)) and there is a lot of LGBTQ+ representation amongst the wider cast of characters. SecUnit is Ace (yes, it doesn’t have genitalia, but it is very specific that even if it did- gross- it wouldn’t be interested) and that makes a refreshing change for relationship dynamics throughout the series. We focus on the complexities of friendship, and platonic love. All of which is very confusing and endearingly horrifying to Murderbot as it discovers not only that it has feelings, but that maybe it… likes them sometimes(!)

The length of these stories is a massive plus. This is my first experience with a novella, and if you are struggling to get that reading ball rolling, these are a perfect antidote. Before this I was slogging through the 600+ pages of China Miéville’s Perdido Street Station (don’t get me wrong, it’s a stunning book and I’ve been enjoying it) but I was busy and running out of steam. When you’ve got a lot on your plate, having a chonky boi by your bedside is sometimes just disheartening enough to put you off picking it up.

With a novella, no such problem. Even a mere 10 pages puts a serious dent in one. You pick up that momentum and start to relax, suddenly you’re smashing through stories once more. 

Naturally, the format means that there are elements of short story technique that come in, (see my short story blog post) one of which is the choice to heavily focus on character.  The story and world-building are, at first, the vehicle to carry this character along - that’s not to say the world isn’t still engaging and filled out, but more that it exists to propel the character through it. 

Murderbot’s allusions to its past and the company that created it are cleverly vague. You get the sense of exactly who the company must be - and how dangerous they are - as the lack of specificity is veiled as fear from Murderbot. It doesn’t want to think about the company, It doesn’t want to talk more than it has to about the company. So by giving us no information, we actually get more out of it as a reader. We don’t need to be told that the company is some big bad news (they create SecUnits for crying out loud) SecUnit’s aversion to talking about them gives us the context to know what they’re about. The way the world continues to gently flesh out as the stories expand is pitched perfectly.

The first-person view gives us a lot of freedom as a reader, particularly as SecUnit’s job is to keep its stupid humans safe, but that involves having the means to have eyes everywhere. 

Frequently it hacks cameras, drones or bots - and we are afforded the same 360 views that Murderbot has. This helps keep the action dynamic, and quickly further the story whilst still maintaining that first-person viewpoint. Murderbot’s acerbic opinion wraps around all the action and guides us through it, making this act of seeing multiple viewpoints feel authentically simple and coherent. 

The simplicity of the stories is actually a real strength throughout. In a similar style to the episodic tv series that MB is so fond of (which is, of course, no accident) there is a clear objective, nothing grand or elaborate. There are a couple of snags along the way, SecUnit is able to navigate them with its haphazard expertise (something that is consistently satisfying) and then the problem is solved.
There is usually one main location, one main scenario and a through-line that casually, neatly ties this adventure into the bigger picture.

This is obviously no mean feat, Wells’s skill as a storyteller is on full display, but it also gives me a reminder as a writer. Conceptually this is not reinventing the wheel, it isn’t even anything particularly original, things don’t always need to be. 

This is a stunning character, with excellent justifications for being in the positions it’s in, and having the skill set it has.  When you add in the conflict with what they’re designed to do, versus what they actually want to do you have a compelling, competent, relatable, believable character that you want to follow wherever they go. There doesn’t need to be anything beyond that.

Crafting intricate subplots? Hammering us with intense, galaxy-spanning world-building lore?  That would be deep frying the mars bar - tasty at first, but ultimately detracting from the original, and making it a little too much to digest. 

In The Murderbot Diaries Martha Wells has given us a masterclass in keeping it simple, which makes the whole reading experience effortlessly fun and engaging, easy to enjoy and - most importantly - leaves us craving more. 

The one thing I wish I’d known before reading Fugitive Telemetry is that it takes place chronologically before Network Effect (the full-length novel), despite being released after, and referred to online as the 6th book in the series. There is a really tasty story heavily teased at the end of Network Effect, and it hampered my enjoyment of Fugitive Telemetry a little when I realised that I wasn’t going to get that story in this instalment. 

However, it’s something to look forward to in book 7, right? (Martha, dear god please write it) 
And if you’ve read this far, now you know, so I’ve saved you that slightly disjointed reading experience. Aren’t I great?

There’s a fantastic interview with Martha Wells here, where she offers a fascinating insight into her process as an author (something I always love to hear about!) so check that out before you leave.

Oh, and yeah, do yourself a favour and grab All Systems Red and have a read!